Val Billeri was still single when on his first visit to Exeter he stumbled upon an impressive brick-faced house home for sale in upscale Forest Hills Estates. Attracted by the Victorian-style house&rsquos four distinctive peaks, he immediately checked into the listing. The price and property were bigger than his needs then, but the elegant-looking house home stuck in his mind.

About a year later, after a particularly grueling day touring 10 properties homes for sale, the newly married Billeri had had enough. He and his wife, Evelyn, went looking for the Exeter house.

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Walk through the House of the Week

Luckily for them, the 2,600-square-foot house at 72 Ridge Drive was still for sale.

Though Billeri&rsquos wife liked the three-acre property, she had some concerns.

&ldquoShe said, &lsquoNnice house, but I don&rsquot like the kitchen,&rsquo&rdquo he recalled with a chuckle.

That&rsquos usually enough to send buyers looking elsewhere. But Billeri was so smitten by the private, wooded property that he bought it, anyway.

&ldquoI took one step into the foyer and looked at the staircase&rdquo and high ceiling &ldquoand said, &lsquoI want to live here,&rsquo &rdquo he said. &ldquoIt just did something for me.&rdquo

That was 10 years and roughly $200,000 in renovations ago. The 18-year-old house now has a 3three-year-old kitchen, expanded deck and many additions, including a hot tub, Koi pond, gazebo and underground sprinklers for meticulously landscaped grounds.

The work has been a labor of love for the couple. They both spend one day a week cleaning the nine-room home and maintaining the grounds, which are surrounded by tall oaks and pines.

&ldquoIt wasn&rsquot about the investment,&rdquo Billeri insisted. &ldquoThis was our home. We did things the way we liked it.&rdquo

Visitors enter through a solid oak front door to the foyer that so impressed Billeri. A high ceiling and view up the curved oak stairway to a second-floor landing make the foyer seem larger than it is. Marble flooring and a large brass and Plexiglas light fixture hanging from the ceiling add a touch of elegance to a space that does more than welcome guests. Four different rooms face the foyer, which makes the layout great for entertaining, Billeri said.

To the left is a light-filled living room with an arched window and cathedral ceiling. The room has oak flooring, found throughout the first floor. An adjoining formal dining room has another brass and Plexiglas light fixture and views of a patio and Koi pond.

The kitchen can be accessed from an adjoining den, the dining room and foyer. The space is the center of activity in the house, Billeri said. The previous kitchen was relatively new, but its black and white cabinets, counters and walls seemed incongruous with the house&rsquos home&rsquos Victorian-era look, Billeri said.

So, the space was gutted. Lots of oak cabinets with a natural stain were brought in, along with a large island able to accommodate a four-burner cook top and two breakfast seats. The island also has a spice rack and lLazy Susan.

There&rsquos a wine rack over the refrigerator. White ceramic tile covers the floor. The counters are green Fformica. Appliances, including a double oven and convection oven, range in age from 3 three years to more than 10 years old.

The attached den has a large fireplace with a raised hearth, cranberry-colored walls and brown dentil molding. The room has access to a rear deck that includes a section built around a hot tub.

Off the den are a half-bath with marble flooring, a closet with shelves and a laundry room.

A nearby rear entrance leads to an attached two-car garage.

The carpeted second floor includes four bedrooms, two full baths and central air.

One light-filled room has an arched window and double closet.

The master suite is spacious, with a private deck overlooking the backyard and surrounding woods where deer, foxes and other wildlife roam.

Matching walk-in closets lead to a full bath with a skylight, Jacuzzi tub with sunset views and a vanity with a Corian top and two sinks.

The basement is unfinished and includes a small workshop and ample room for storage.

The home is heated by oil and has a well and septic system.

About one-third of the property is wooded. The wooded land slopes down several feet behind large rocks and arborvitae that border the yard on all sides.

In the backyard, stairs connect the deck to a patio that leads to a large Koi pond and waterfall. A small walkway arches over the pond to the gazebo.

The Billeris are selling to move to Connecticut.

The Exeter neighborhood is a mix of mostly upscale residences homes and estates on large, wooded lots. One road loops through the development, limiting most traffic to neighborhood residents.

The town center is about 1½ miles away. Route 95 is a five-minute drive.

The property was listed in November for $699,900. Real estate taxes last year were $6,079. Ray Kenyon, of RE/MAX Flagship Inc., in Narragansett, has the listing: (401) 782-2540.